OTE on the FMR: The ARA writer talks about the Easter egg hunt altercation

The writer of yesterday’s ARA joined Brian, Chrissy and me on today’s OTE/Fly Morning Rush segment. She talked a little more about the incident where she got in an altercation at a Guilderland town park this weekend. The verbal argument turned physical, and ended with the reader being restrained — and then wacked with an umbrella.

The three of us weighed in on who was in the wrong, and whether the reader should sue.

30 Responses

That was GREAT!!! I would have never gone on the radio AFTER all the comments on the blog. I was laughing with you and Chrissy saying “I would roll up my window and drive away”…I was thinking so would I. I would never have gotten out of EITHER car in the first place…Lee and these other women just sound a bit trashy to me. Women fighting each other is just gross!! Have some class AND remember…your KIDS ARE WATCHING!!

REALLY, it’s true. Like I said on-air, the woman who was in the SUV and, in turn, pulled out the umbrella is not innocent in this whole thing. She could have rolled up her window and driven away, or talked with the reader through the window. She chose to get out of the car.

Yes, a huge chunk of the story seems to be missing. VERY OBVIOUS. Like what Leigh did before the women from the car restrained her. Probably acted like a raging beyotch and started with empty threats of violence. Again, obvious. My advice to Leigh is to keep herself and her kind out of Guilderland and to ask herself what REALLY is bothering her lately…because we know it isn’t the driver of the Volvo. Further, I’ll be watching for a white Volvo SUV in my travels, seeing who’s driving, and staying away from them (maybe after following them for a while to see where they live, and finding out where they work from their names).

Biggest hole in the story when she was asked if her daughter saw anything and she said no. I’m going to call foul on that because let me tell you my kids see everything and when you least expect it you hear “Dad remember that one time the guy stopped when you gave him the finger”….last digit thrown with my kids in the car.

I think I have to agree with Kristi (a very rare occurrence) that Leigh should not have gotten out of the car and escalated the whole issue, but more importantly the other woman should not have assaulted her.
Also I feel that there is more to the store than what has been told and I was disappointed that the FLY 92 DJs did not ask more questions like “did you threaten anyone” or “did you take a swing at someone” etc…
There are always 3 sides to a story and getting the other two would clear things up.

I’ll never forget approximately 32 years ago when I was in the backseat of my mother’s car w/my grandmother riding shotgun. You had to know Gram, sweetest woman in world, typical Grammy (baked goods, homemade meals, slipper socks, etc.). Someone cut my mother off and next thing I know my Gram flipped the other driver the bird. I could NOT believe I had just witnessed that – I can remember it like yesterday. My point? Unfortunately, her kids will always remember the Easter Egg Hunt episode of 2012. :(

I think this teaches us and our kids a new lesson, “Sticks and stones may break our bones, but umbrella’s give a concussion.” ;) People just gotta learn to shrug these kind of things off and grow a backbone, and be the better person.

Someone could insult me and my whole family all day long. That would never justify a violent response on my part.
I can’t see why some blame the ARA and even say her actions were equal to the violence meted out.

@Other – by getting out of her car, she was posing a threat to the occupants of the car. When the driver of the other car got out, they escalated the threat. It sounds like there was possibly a lot of screaming, swearing, and threatening going on (I could only listen to part of the segment so I don’t know if the ARA admitted to this, or if it’s just speculation), which could prompt the other people in the car to jump out. If “Leigh” was threatening the people in the car, I can see why they would restrain her. If she was acting in a threatening manner, I can see why they would restrain her. No, she did not deserve to be assaulted while she was restrained. For that, she filed a police report and should let that investigation continue. But she is at fault for starting it. No matter how horribly the person in front of you is driving, you never EVER get out of your car. As others said on the first thread, what if that driver had been armed? She could have been shot and killed in front of her daughter (who didn’t deserve to see any of that in the first place), and where would her family be then?

I understand the natural reaction to confront someone who’s pissed you off. But unless you have anger control issues, someone blocking an exit and backing up too close to your car should in no way prompt such an explosive reaction. The fact of the matter is, this ARA needs to get herself into counseling right now, because it sounds like she has some personal issues to work through, and if she can’t control herself in front of her kid during a traffic incident, what’s she going to do in the grocery store? In a mall parking lot? At the gas station when someone cuts her off at the pump?

Just to be clear, this is in no way a judgment on the ARA, but rather to point out that by escalating the situation herself, she got herself into a mess that could have easily ended in her death. She needs to learn some control. She should not sue but rather let the police report take its course, and she should use it as a teachable moment for her daughter. Next time, I hope she thinks before she reacts.

(Sorry for the sermon, this has been brewing in my mind since yesterday)

Everyone was wrong in this situation. You child in the car, you don’t do things like that. That is not being a responsible parent. One bad decision can affect the rest of your life, take the time to take a deep breath and realize maybe the other person is just having a bad day and give them a break. You should never get out of a car and confront someone because you never know if they have a gun or something. Be the better person and just drive away. It could be your life or someone elses life you save.

Ya know Leigh (“our” Leigh) when I read this, I was kinda shocked and disappointed, assuming it was you. (I did not know you didn’t have a daughter, but now you jogged my memory about not having a car). Anywho, I was thinking to myself, “self..I’m surprised Leigh acted this way, she is always so witty and funny, seems easy going and carefree, I just can’t believe she’d act in this manner!” SO GLAD to hear it wasn’t you! Have a great weekend :)

I thought it was out of character too, although I didn’t realize it was a fake name! People were spelling it like you, and it seemed like they were talking directly to you! So I was confused. *sheepish*

I knew immediately that it was not our Leigh–even leaving out the facts that she does not have either a car or a daughter.

I’m not surprised that “Leah” went on the air to defend herself. Even a whack over the head didn’t knock any sense into her. Maybe she bent the umbrella with her forehead because her head is so hard. :P

What the other driver did was worse and she and her group of thugs should be charged. Still, I can’t help but LOVE the fact that this bully ran into a car load of bigger bullies. Leah, if you learn nothing else, remember that people CAN and WILL take you on when you push them around. And I triple-dog dare you to finally answer this question, if you have the guts: What did you plan to do after yelling at the driver IF her companions didn’t clean your clock? And how many other people have been victims of your rage, huh?

How did your daughter NOT see this happening? And who made you the Parking Police?